Angela Malz was awarded with the Honorary Medal of Chemnitz University of Technology
Long-time University Library Director received the award in acknowledgement of her outstanding merits for the benefit of Chemnitz University of Technology
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President Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeier conferred the Honorary Medal of Chemnitz University of Technology to Angela Malz. Photo: Jacob Müller
For recognition of her particular engagement and in acknowledgement of her outstanding merits for the benefit of Chemnitz University of Technology, the Director of the University Library, Angela Malz, was awarded with the Honorary Medal of Chemnitz University of Technology. The President, Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeier, handed over the medal within the retirement celebration on March 26, 2026. “Angela Malz has led the University Library in an outstanding manner and generated a number of successes”, the President said. For this reason, it is a great honor and a particular pleasure for him to confer her the highest award of Chemnitz University of Technology. The president liked to quote a citation from an article issued only a few days ago by Berliner Zeitung: “The University Library is supposed to belong to those locations of the academic sphere which are historically most worth seeing and which should not shy the competition with Oxford, Cambridge or Stanford. One should have seen it or, even better, should have studied there. An assessment delighting Angela Malz and her Library Team as well.
Angela Malz is working at Chemnitz University of Technology resp. her predecessors already since 1984 – at first as librarian and later as directorate assistant. In 2006 she was engaged as managing director of the University Library, since September 2010 she is her Director. Already in 2006, Chemnitz University Library was considered, according to the Library Index (BIX), as most efficient University Library in Germany. In addition, the University Library was at the forefront with regard to the usage of electronic media. The engagement of the University Library for more openness in science and society – particularly on the field of Open Access – was honored i.a. in the years 2016 and 2020 with the “Open Library Badge”. Since 2013, Malz is a core participant and moderator of the “Literary Quintet”, an event format of the University Library jointly with the Professorshjp of Modern German and Comparative Literature Studies and the Student Representatives of the Faculty of Humanities. The most challenging task for Malz was the merging of the former Library sites in the “Old Spinnig Mill”-building. After five years of reconstruction works, the new University Library opened on October 1, 2020. This was preceded by the moving of around 1.2 million books and the major part of comprehensive archival material of the University. In 2025, the University Library participated in a varied manner in the Chemnitz Capital of Culture-year. Malz was involved in many projects as well as in an endless number of events happening at the University Library. As outstanding networker, she was always looking for connections with many institutions at Chemnitz, among them the City Library, the City Theaters and a number of museums. Malz liked to tell stories from the history of the building during her guided tours through the Library and from the successful development the University Library has taken.
„This award makes me very proud and it belongs also to my team and my former colleagues”, Malz says subsequent to the conferment of the Honorary Medal. Even though she will leave the University Library in a few days, she will remain faithful to her University. “For this reason, I have already registered in the alumni-database of Chemnitz University of Technology.”
Keyword: Honorary Medal of Chemnitz University of Technology
In order to award persons for their particular engagement or outstanding merits, there are several options at Chemnitz University of Technology. In addition to the Honorary Doctorate and the merit of an Honorary Senate Member, also the Honorary Medal of Chemnitz University of Technology is conferred. This Medal was handed over for the first time on October 9, 2007 to its Royal Highness Princess from Thailand Maha Chakri Sirindhorn who engaged in the networking of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology North Bangkok as well as other universities in the country with Chemnitz University. In total, this Honorary Medal was conferred to 18 persons until now. It was manufactured at the State Porcelain Manufactory Meißen.
(Translation: Dr. Wolfgang Lambrecht)
Mario Steinebach
27.03.2026
